Warming to Socialism? (National radio commentary, Salem/Townhall) February 8, 2016

A Yougov survey in October showed Democrats favoring socialism over capitalism by 12 percent. In November, a NYT/CBS News poll concluded that 56 percent of Democratic primary voters and 69 percent of Bernie Sanders’ supporters had a positive view of socialism. In Iowa, a poll showed 43 percent of likely caucus voters describing themselves as socialists, five percent more than capitalists.

What’s going on here? For one thing, this question is very much generational, with younger people favoring socialism and the older generation still capitalists.

But the question is also educational. Those under 30 liked socialism, but when asked if they like the government owning your business, “no.” When you poll free market economy versus an economy managed by government, they want free markets.

It’s still scary that young people are embracing socialism, but scarier still, they don’t know what it means.